Are you planning to appear for the IAS Exam 2021? then this is a must-read article for you. This article gives details information about the IAS preparation and records the best books for UPSC aspirants. The prestigious Indian Administrative Service (IAS) examination is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) each year. The examination is held in three stages, viz. Prelims, Mains and the Interview. Your success in the Civil Services Exam directly depends on the study material that you choose to prepare for the exam. You should choose the absolute best study material available in the market. This includes the standard books which are recommended by the IAS toppers. Below we have provided a list of best books for UPSC Prelims and Mains.
UPSC Books – Best Books For IAS Prelims
The IAS preliminary exam consists of two papers, i.e. General Studies and CSAT. Both papers are objective type, and negative marking scheme is applicable. Below we have provided the best books for IAS Prelims exam.
History and Culture Books
- India’s Ancient Past by R.S. Sharma
- History Of Medieval India by Satish Chandra
- India’s Struggle For Independence by Bipan Chandra
- History Of Modern India by Bipan Chandra
- Indian Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania
- The Wonder That Was India by A.L. Bhasham
- Facts of Indian Culture by Spectrum
Indian Polity and Economy Books
- Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth
- Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh
- Economic Survey by Ministry of Finance Government of India
Geography Books
- Indian and World Geography by Majid Husain
- Geography of India (Old Edition) by Majid Husain
- Oxford School Atlas by Oxford
- Certificate Physical and Human Geography by Goh Cheng Leong
Environment and Biodiversity Books
- Environmental Studies by R. Rajagopalan
- Environment for Civil Services Prelims and Mains by D R, Khullar & J A C S, Rao
- Environment by Shankar IAS book
Current Affairs & General Knowledge Books
- India Year Book 2020 by Publications Division Government of India
- Manorama Yearbook 2020 by Philip Mathew
- Current Affairs Yearly 2020 by Arihant Experts
- General Knowledge 2020 by Arihant Experts
CSAT Books
- Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning by R. S. Aggarwal
- Analytical Reasoning by M. K. Pandey
- Cracking the CSAT by Arihant Experts
- Quantitative Aptitude by R. S. Aggarwal
- UPSC Civil Services 2011-2018 (Prelim) GS & CSAT by Kiran Prakashan
UPSC Books – Best Books For IAS Mains
Those candidates who successfully clear the preliminary exam are allowed to attempt the Mains exam of UPSC. IAS Mains consists of 9 papers in which two are optional. Below we have provided recommended books for UPSC Mains.
Essay Books
- Selected Contemporary Essays by Saumitra Mohan
- 151 Essays – Latest edition by Arihant Publications
- The Best Approach to Precis Writing by S C Gupta
- ESSAYS for Civil Services by Pulkit Khare
General Studies Paper I
- India Since Independence by Bipan Chandra
- India After Gandhi by Ramachandra Guha
- Social Problems In India by Ram Ahuja
- History of Modern World by B V Rao
- World History by Krishna Reddy
- Social Change in Modern India by M N Srinivas
- Indian Society by Senthil
- IAS Mains General Studies Paper-I by Arihant Experts
- IAS Mains General Studies Solved Papers by Rohit Vadhwana (IFS Officer)
General Studies Paper II
- Governance in India by M. Laxmikanth
- International Relations by Pavneet Singh
- Pax Indica by Shashi Tharoor
- IAS Mains General Studies Paper-II by McGraw-Hill
General Studies Paper III
- Internal Security for Civil Services Main by M. Karthikeyan
- Challenges to Internal Security of India by Ashok Kumar
- India’s National Security by Bajpai
General Studies Paper IV
- Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude by G Subba Rao & P N Roy Chowdhury
- Lexicon for Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude by Niraj Kumar
Additional Recommended Books
- GIST of NCERT Books
- Kurukshetra Magazine
- Mujhe Banna hai UPSC Topper
- All Civil Services books under one roof
- All IAS Books in Hindi medium
- IAS Books in Telugu medium
- NCERT Books for UPSC
- IGNOU Books
- Yojana Magazine
Key Points to Remember
- Before beginning with your study, make sure that you have chosen the right books to avoid wasting your crucial time and effort for preparing for the exam.
- Prepare a schedule before starting with the preparation so that you dedicate the right amount of time for your studies and cover all the topics on time.
- Study with complete concentration and keep making notes and pointers that highlights all the things that you have read. These notes will come handy during revision.
- Please stick to the books recommended by us because they are the best books for IAS preparation available in the market. There are high chances that many questions in the exam are asked directly from these books
- The recommended books are from significant writers, and they provide comprehensive information which is essential for the Civil Services exam.
- Do not panic with the length of content provided in the books. Break it down and get clarity on the concepts of the material. This will help to make your learning easy.
- Apart from the information collected through the books, it is highly recommended that you keep yourself in sync with the matters of current affairs as it is a crucial aspect of the IAS exam.
- Keep researching and learning about important topics and subjects online. Read surveys, case studies, and reports to get relevant information about the subject.
- Revision is the key to memorise things. So make sure you revise all the content which you have already learned.
- Dedicate a good amount of time for it so that you rush or forget things at the end.
Why should you opt for these IAS Books?
All the listed books are highly recommended by the IAS toppers and experts. These books have high customer ratings and positive reviews on Amazon. On average these books have about 4.1 out of 5 ratings on Amazon. Amazon has an ongoing sale on these books so grab your copy today and enjoy the benefit of Amazon sales. These books are available at discounted rates making it affordable to buy for UPSC aspirants.